Strike: Covid-19 vaccination exercise under threat, as JOHESU serves FG 15-day ultimatum

Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has issued the Federal Government a 15-day ultimatum ahead of a planned industrial action over outstanding welfare issues with the umbrella body of health professionals.

According to JOHESU, alongside another group, the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association (AHPA), the strike will take effect in all states and Local Government Area health institutions in the country.

The planned strike is also expected to affect the ongoing first and second phase Covid-19 vaccinations exercise in some states across the federation.

JOHESU is the umbrella body of health workers’ unions and associations, including the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions, and Senior Staff Association of Universities’ Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions.

The planned strike by JOHESU comes on the heels of an ongoing industrial action by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) who have been on strike since August 2, this year over claims by the health professionals of breach in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the group and Federal Government.

Serving a notice of industrial action, Saturday, JOHESU’s National President, Mr Biobelemonye Josiah, said in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, as well as other relevant stakeholders on Saturday in Abuja that the ultimatum ‘was necessitated by the nonchalant attitude of government to the plight of its members.’

Josiah listed the welfare issues to include; adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES), as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) since 2014; payment of all withheld April and May 2018 salaries of members and withheld Salaries in Federal Medical Center,  Owerri, JUTH and LUTH;.

Other welfare-related issues include; review of the defective implementation of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance; implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Consent judgment and other court judgments; increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for Consultant Health Professionals.

‘‘Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantee fairness and justice to all concerned; payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to Nurses/Midwives and others.

‘‘Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (Nurses, Midwives and others) and proper placement of Nurse Graduates and Interns,” he said.

According to the JOHESU leader, other issues such as; payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals at all the Tertiary Health Institutions; proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector, among others, are causes for the ultimatum given to the Federal Government.

”You will recall that up till the time of writing this letter, the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to honour the Terms of Settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017.

‘‘This is especially the upward review of CONHESS Salary Structure as agreed; to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement amongst other requests.”

Additionally, he accused the FG of not addressing these issues during the duration of the last seven day warning strike, as he further noted that it had only met with JOHESU on July 12.

“This is in contravention of the spirit and content of the MoU signed on April 21, 2020. JOHESU, in compliance with the provision of Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap.T8 LFN 2004; is constrained to give the Federal Government of Nigeria 15 days ultimatum with effect from September 3.

“This also is to inform you that with effect from midnight of September 17; all our members in the Federal Health Institutions shall embark on an indefinite strike action.

“‘You are all placed on red alert for the strike; if the Federal Government foot drags in attending to our demands,” the JOHESU leader said.